Dental technology services and industry trends in New Zealand from 2010 to 2012

To provide a snapshot of the New Zealand dental technology industry and influencing factors.

Developing an understanding of the commercial dental laboratory environment in New Zealand can provide insight into the entire dental industry.

A web-based survey was the primary method for data collection, with separate questionnaires used for dental laboratory owners and dental technician employees.

The mean net income for dental laboratory owners in New Zealand was similar to that of the United Kingdom, at $40.50 per hour. Clinical dental technicians are the highest paid employees, with a mean of $33.49 per hour. The mean technical charge for complete dentures was $632.59; including clinical services, it was $1907.00. The mean charge for a porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crown was $290.27. Dental laboratory owners expressed fear about the possibility of losing dental clients to overseas laboratories due to the availability and cheap charge of offshore work. Only 25.4% of dental laboratories surveyed had computer-aided design (CAD) facilities, and even fewer (7.9%) had computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems.

Clinical dental technology appears to be prospering. The dental technology industry appears to be adapting and remains viable, despite facing many challenges.